Show THE CRIMINAL WITNESS in the spring of 1841 I 1 was called to jack soap ion alabama to attend court having been engaged to defend a young man maii who abo had been accused of robbing the mail maii I 1 arrived caly ealy in the morning mornine and immediately had bad a long conference with my client tile the stolen mail bag iid ild lid hid been recovered a well as the letters from which the money bad had been rifled these letters were e given me for examination examinations and I 1 returned them to the prosecuting attorney having got pot through my private preliminaries about noon and as the case U ouid not come OT off before the next ray aay I 1 went into court in tile the afternoon to see what was as going on the tile f first case that came up tip was one ot theft a aid ald td the pi laoner was a oung girl girt rot more than seventeen years of ace named elizabeth mad niad worth she was very pretty and bore that mild innocent look which we seldom find in a culprit she had been weeping profusely but as she found so many eyes cyrs upon her she bhe became too frightened to weep more the complaint against her ber a t forth that she iad lad I lad ad stolen a audred dollars from front a mrs airs naseby and as the case went on I 1 found that this mrs airs naseby a wealthy widow living in the town was the girls mistress the poor I 1 c rl de clard clarid her innocence in tile the wildest terms hut but circum were hard against her ller A hundred dollars in bank batik notes had been stolen from her room and she was the only one that had access there at this juncture when the mistress was upon the witness stand a young man came and caught me by the arm lie ile was a fine looking man and big tears stood in his hib eye eyes athey they tell me you are a good lawyer he whispered 1 I am a lawver I 1 an answered then do gave save bait bart Y you ou certa ceka ialy laly can do it for she blie is innocent r Is she your tour oar our sister no sir bir irly he added but bu but 21 11 here re he be hesitated ainas ua the no coula chuia co ula uis I 1 I 1 aa wed led kea none good for anything rici nobody do anything f r I 1 er 0 save her het and ill give you all ive got I 1 cant give you much but I 1 can raise something 13 I 1 reflected a moment I 1 cast my eyes towards the oner an I 1 she was at that moment lookin look looking in at me she caught my eye ee a and the volume ef of humble entreaty I 1 read in her gl gi nce nce nee resolved me in ili a mom nt I 1 arose and went to the girl and asked if she wished me to defend her ller she said yes es I 1 then informed the court that I 1 was rea reay y 1 to enter into the case and was adm admitted tied at once the loud murmur of ratiB faction that ran quickly through the room told me where the sympathies thiea of the people were asked fr for a moments ments s cessation that I 1 might peak jcak speak with my rny client I 1 vent bent A ent and sat down ly by her e de and asked her to 0 o state candidly the whole case she told me she had bad lived with mrs naseby nearly two yeara years and had never bad any arky trouble before about two weeks ago alo she said her mistress mis ress lost a hundred dollars S e missed it f flom i om her d drawer rawer the girl sald bald to me and asked me rob about it I 1 said that I 1 knew nothing about it 71 that at evening I 1 know nancy uther luther told mrs airs naseby that she saw me take the money from the dawer that she watched me through the keyhole then they went rent to my trunk and foun I 1 twenty five dollars of the missing ta isain isBin money there but sir I 1 never took up it and metody somebody so must have put it there I 1 then asked her it she he suspect eA any one 1 I dont cont enow know know 0 11 she ald said aid who could ave done dene it b t nancy she has never liked me mel because ahe nhe thought I 1 wab waa better treated than she the she is the cook I 1 was waa the chambermaid rr aid ald she pointed nancy lither L ither out to me she was a stout boldfaced bold faced b girl irl somewhere about hive five and twe twenty rity years 0 tl with a low forehead sina aniag gray eyes a pug nose and abick lip I 1 caught her glance at once as it rested on oil the fair young prisoner and the moment I 1 detected the luok ivok of hatred which I 1 read there I 1 was colv convinced n cd that she bhe was the nancy luther L ither did you say bay that girls name was I 1 asked for a new li liht ht had upon me yes sir 11 1 left the courtroom court room and went to the prose 1 attorney atto atton aey and asked him for the letters I 1 had handed hirn nhim the ones that had been stolen from the mall mail maliba sag sae ba g ile he gave them to me and having selected one I 1 returns return od the rest and told him I 1 would see be had bad the one I 1 kept before night I 1 then returned to the courtroom court room and the ahe casement case went vent on mrs airs naseby resumed her ller te simony testimony she said silt sile ed the room to the prisoners care and that no one else had access here there save herself then she described about miss mius ing the money and closed by tellin jr how she found twenty t enty five dollars kofl of it I 1 t in the he prisoners ers trunk she bhe could swear it was the identical money she bad lost in two tens and one five dollar bank batik not 1111 airs ra naseby 1 said 1 I when you first missed the money money h d you any reason to believe that the pt prisoner is oner oher had taken it 2 no sr 11 she answered had fillad you ever before lefore detected her in any dishonest dishonesty 3 no sir should you yon have thought of reir stir Be ching arching her trunk had not nancy alther lalier advised and in formed you i si s i no nosir sir bir 3 f mrs airs lert left the we sta eta nd d and rincy hincy nancy fancy luther dither tock her place she came cam e up a bold look and alid upon me ae ehe bhe cista cesta cist a defiant glance as it if to my say trap me if you canu cane shi ab gave her evidence an tollo air Ait she said that on the the money wa was taken she bhe he saw the trl Tri going up stairs and irom from rom the sly mariner manner in ca she went tip up she suspected all was not tot ro right so she follow followed cd her iier up elizabeth went to mrs hits naseba Nase bys room and ind shut the floor after her I 1 stooped down and to lo ked the key hoe hote and BW saw B W lier ber take out the inotay money and ard put it in her tier pocket then she stooped down blown and picked ill uil up I 1 the lamp and as I 1 dav that eb sil was watt comit coming 0 out it I 1 hurried away aay 1 1 illen alien hen she site went on tild ti ld ho v she mile had bad in ic formel ber lier mistress mi atres of this and how she proposed po eed qed to search bearch the tile giris girls irr i rt trunk I 1 I 1 railed etil rill eel eti mrs airs naseby to th estand I 1 you sa d that tint i 10 0 one save sae bae yourself and th prisoner had a cess to your room toom lf I 1 said bald now could cincy luther have entered the room if i arbe he wished wish fd I 1 certainly sit bli bli I 1 meant that no one eisa elsa had any arly rigia right chete 11 I 1 I 1 sa saw w that mis nis naseby though naturally a hard hare woman was somewhat uLal moved by poor eliz ellz beths betha misery I 1 caud yot your 1 r cook have known by any means meats iii in your 3 our kno knowledge leige where your money moley was yeb yes yea ir for she hafi has otten ofin come to my iry room rovin while white I 1 was there alid aid I 1 have given her money to buy provisions of market men who happened happe ned to come comme along alon aion with their wavon wagon 11 one more question have you known of the prisoner having used an ari money since bince this was wali etoler nt oler ano a no sirle air I 1 now called nancy lither litber bac back k I 1 and bhe she h beggan heggan be an 0 tremble a little though her look was wa as bod oid oyd and defiant as ever 11 miss liss luther I 1 said sald why buhy did you not inform your mistress of what that you had bad seen without wi hout wai ing for orber her to ask you ou about tho the lost money because I 1 could not at once make up my mind to expose the poor girl she answered promptly I 1 1 yi ati u say you looked through terouz h the keyhole and saw her take the money moncy desp sir air where fabere did bhe she place the lamp when ghe K did so FO 0 on n the bureau 11 in your testimony you said she the sto stooped 0 i ped red down when she picked it up what do d yo ype mean by that 2 the irl hesitated and finally she sald said bhe she did not mean althin an thil thin only that she picked up uj th the e lamp tv very e r well 21 said 1 how lon ion have yoe you yo been with airs Naseby caseb Na seb 12 not quite a year sir how much doe noes does blue the ehe pay you yon a weel week A dollar and three quarters have haye I 1 you ou taken up tip any of your jour pay you have een ern there yes sir bir how much 1 I doit dollt dolt now sir why dont you know how should I 1 I 1 have haie taken it aadi efferent ff erent times time just as I 1 wanted it and kepoo kept lo io 10 ao count I 1 now tf if you had bad wished to harm the oner ller iler could you have raised twenty tive dollee a to put in her ller trunk I 1 no no bir sir she replied with virt bous inde nalon nai naion lph loh then nin nen iou fou you hwe not laid up any money ince you have been thare I 1 ro no sir bit only what airs may oa me then you did not have ary twenty give five dollars when you came there 6 1 no V 5 sir ir rid nd more the money roni foni d in t the he gills tu t u k was t f e money mra airs naseby lost you might hate hae known k down that it if remember whit what you ou asked her this thib was said very sarcastically and was intended as a ci usher upon the idea that she bite should have put the money n the prison prisoners rs trunk however I 1 w s not overcome entirely will you ou tell me if you belon to t this is state 1 I do si 91 11 in wh what at town she hesitated and rot for an instant the 1 iola I old ord loox forsook her but the finally answered 1 ral rai I belon belong t to somers Sot ners montgomery county f I 1 next turned to mrs hirs naseby I 1 dido do brou bu ever take a receipt from your girls girl when 3 ou on pay them always can you se me d and get one of them thenn form she has told you the truth sir eln about th payment eald eaid hits bits naseby 0 1 I dont doubt it I 1 replied particular proof is a the thing for the courtroom court room sa if you yon can I 1 wish you would procure the tho receipt she said she woud willingly go if the court said so BO and the court did so and she went welt her dwelling was not nr fr oft off and she soon returned and iian lian hanich cd it e four receipts whick which I 1 toor and examined they were signed in a strange staggering band by the witness now nancy luther I 1 said baid turnip p to io the witness wit nes and bf breaking caking ii n a gartling tone at the same time tim e looking hersle rily in the eye ee please tell the court bourt and jury cd rd me where whee you youl got the seventy hive bire dollars dellan you sent in your letter to your sisters in som eoin eis eib the witness stared starred as though a volcano burst at lier iier ler feet she turned pale as death and every lim jim shook violently il wa wai wae cd until the people pe pie could have an opportunity fo 40 see her ber ela eia ednot oten oton en an and d then I 1 re repeated atea the qwin q nes I 1 tion 1 I navor sent sen ap y 11 the she g gasped jag gig you didt I 1 thun thua ered for IO 10 awaa WA excited now DOW III 1 I I 1 1 I y she faintly muttered reds grasping the railing railing by her side bide for support beav it please yur your hodor bonor and gentlemen of a the jury 3 1 I said ts boon soon as I 1 looked the out of counte countenance nalice 1 I came hereto here to defend a man who udom lyas arrested for rob ing in the in mail mall ail all an i in the course of my preliminary to the ibe letters which exam na 0 access kavc kate been torn open an i robbed of money when I 1 upon this uns case and ai d hard the ntine arrne of thi mitoe a 8 rono need I 1 went vent out and antt got this thiis leter ieter which I 1 now hold for I 1 having seen one bearing t e s mria gria ture of nancy luther this letter was t taken aken from the tue mall maitil i 11 ag arld arid it contained leventy seventy five dollars dollare and anel bylo by dooin oun oAn at the post postmark mark malk you ou mil will observe that it was mailet mailei the day a tr ter the bundred bui hui dred dollars were taken ficia mrs naseba drawer I 1 will read it to lo 3 ous ou if you jou 3 ou ise tse 12 the court nodded assent assents and I 1 read the following which was without dates date save that made by the postmaster up a the outside I 1 give it verb tim lim SI sister states dorcet I 1 send yu hear bear seventy five delers which I 1 j want yuto yu lo 10 cepe for tie ne till I 1 cum bum I 1 cant cepe it c a lm lin careered it will mil gt g t stole dont k wun word to a livin linn soul about vlis ulis i ilont want nobody to no ive g t eny mony you wont no vv v wui wil u i am arn fust fuat rate t hear bear anly that gu luul lull 1 for no hing snipe of 0 lis madA orthis is heir hear yit tit i bop lop tu to git over overa i her now dow yu io i rote tu bout her div tny rny luy luv to al frens irena thia this la is frum fautn yur slater sister til NANCY luther 21 now andow your honory honor I 1 isalas isaias as I 1 gave gate him the letter and aiso aldo the thoe receipts you will see sed that the let ter tel ten is s directed to ru dos bos doicus cas lutger luther Sa gainers iners montgomery county and you will wilt observe that on oue our lland iland roue rote rote roie that lett iett r and the bece and the will win also ob 1 serve erve and now I 1 will ny add it is plain to see how the tiie huper d dollars W were re disposed of severity seventy give five dollars w re sent off for safe keeping the remaining twenty hive five dollars were placed lii tri the prison prisoners ePs trunk for the purpose of covering the real criminal of the tone lone of parts of the let er yu must jud judge e I 1 now leave my iny clients clien cilen ls case in your hands 11 the case was given to the jury immediately imme immediately diatel y following their examination of the letter they had heard f om oin the witness 0 n mouth that th ih i h had no tri irl money orley olley of her own and without ith leavin ia their seats beats they returned a ve verdict no guilty I 1 will not describe the se c ne that followed butia but it nancy luther had biot been j tely arre arrested sted eted for thefts theft she wo id have bien been obliged to beek seek protection of the office re or the excited people ouid have gna ina maimed fined lined her ber at ati least if they had lad not done mor the next mornin in orning I 1 received a note notes hands bands mely written in ia which I 1 was told that the within was but a slight light token of the de due me for my I 1 efforts iu behalf of the poor def ma den it was feigned IS several veral verai citizens Y I 1 antl anti co cova cora i ineil one lun iun hundred lund dred rd dollars shortly afterwards the youth who first begged me rne to take up the case ca led lej upon me with all the money he tle could raise but I 1 showed him that ahad already bern paid and refused his hard earana barsda bars barb na A 01 Before lefore I 1 left town I 1 w ws was s a guest ruest at athla athis his hib wed wedi 1 41 ams 0 1 ig my fair rilent ellent uti uel belur beluk tir the happy belil le |